Firstleaf Review

Firstleaf makes it easy to find wines you love. It's just not right to spend $30 on a bottle of wine that you might end up hating. We all love the liquor store folks who point us to a bottle that they recommend, but in that five minutes of conversation, they don't really know what you're looking for. Seeing that most of us weren't born into a wine-centric family — we didn't grow up understanding the different notes of certain wines or the perfect food pairings.

So, what's the solution? How do you find a wine that truly gets you? And, how can you keep finding that wine?

Lucky for all of us, Firstleaf is committed to finding bottles of wine that are tailored to your tastes. Your specific considerations aren't clumped together with a general genre of wine. Instead, your likes and dislikes are catered to you specifically, giving you complete control over your next shipment of wine.

Ready to give Firstleaf a try? Sign up with Firstleaf today and start living your best wine life.

Pros

• 100% satisfaction guaranteed
• Cases are more personalized over time
• Wine Concierge team available
• Uniquely tailored to you

Cons

• Second case is automatically sent to you after Introductory Box; however, adjusting order frequency in your account is simple
• Some feel like the rating system is over-simplified for detailed feedback

How It Works

So how does Firstleaf get it right? They start learning more about you from the very beginning. They don't assign you to a specific group of wine lovers. Instead, they personalize each case of wine for your taste and no one else's.

As soon as you sign up for Firstleaf, you'll take a quiz to gain some understanding of your favorite (and least favorite) wine profiles. Firstleaf then uses its industry-leading algorithm to match your tastes against thousands of data points that have been collected for each bottle of wine.

Once Firstleaf has an understanding of the types of wine that you'd like to try, they then curate a collection of bottles all based on your information. You'll receive an introductory order of wines that you're asked to rate. The rating system is a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down, which Firstleaf has determined to be the best way to gather feedback from wine drinkers. Anything more complicated than this (i.e. rating scale from 1-5) creates less precise readings, making it harder to really identify how a user feels. 

These ratings will give the Firstleaf team a more comprehensive look of whether or not they nailed your wine preferences on the first go, or if they need to keep refining. This is how Firstleaf gets better and better with each shipment. 

Once you sign up for the introductory order, you will receive more wine in the future, unless you purposely opt-out or cancel. You can set how often you receive your wine to be 6 bottles every 1, 2, or 3 months. If you're not loving the service, you can unsubscribe at any time from the Firstleaf website.

Every time you rate the wine you receive, you're customizing your next order and helping build your perfect case of wine. The best part? If you think Firstleaf really missed the mark on a certain bottle in your shipment, you can reach out to the Wine Concierge team and they'll replace that bottle for free.

Wine + Data

You might have seen other wine clubs use a list of questions to guide their choices for you, but that's about as far as they go in determining your preferences. Firstleaf is different. Driven by data science, Firstleaf uses an advanced algorithm to compare your palate with how a certain wine will complement it.

And this isn't just a matter of "sweet vs. dry." Instead, these data points evaluate the chemical attributes of each wine, and then they seek out these features in your ideal wine. Firstleaf dives deeper into the composition of each bottle, developing an entire profile based on chemical analysis, tests, and reviews to determine an apt summarization.

Once a bottle has been given a detailed profile, Firstleaf then uses this to predict how that certain drink matches an individual's palate. This is a science-based wine pairing that hones in on each person's unique preference. Even if you're a novice wine drinker, you'll still have the opportunity to craft your perfect case. Just rate the variety of wines you receive in your Introductory Box, which will give you the perfect start to your wine-tasting journey. 

Only the Finest of Wines

Sure, you can use data science to better pair wines with wine drinkers, but without good wine, all of this work goes out the window. Firstleaf's thoroughness doesn't end at their fine-tuned algorithm.

Wines that end up at your doorstep have gone through rigorous sampling and testing by Firstleaf experts. Their winemaking team travels the world to test out over 10,000 wines each year. This team is so scrupulous about their choices that less than 2% of these wines are picked out for consumers.

The Firstleaf team doesn't just box up a case of wine and send it your way. Team members are essential to the overall process; they're on the ground sourcing the best wine as well as on the other end of a chatroom after you receive your box. They'll be your biggest resource if you have any questions about your wine choices, and customer reviews back this up with 5-star reviews on their responsiveness.

Firstleaf is a hands-on wine company, working with farmers and growers all over the globe to ensure that they're sharing the highest quality wine possible. To prove this, Firstleaf has received over 1,000 medals for their wine and they continue to improve their selection.

Not only do they collaborate with growers, but they also have wineries in the U.S. where they finish and bottle their own product. From start to finish, Firstleaf understands the intricacies of wine and are as excited about each case as you are.

The Quiz

Before you begin your membership, you'll take a quiz that narrows down your tastes for wine. While some questions are pretty basic like red or white, others show you a list of wines that you can "like" or "dislike." These give Firstleaf a better look at the wine chemistry that you tend to enjoy over others.

They also dive into the types of foods you generally like or dislike to better understand your natural taste preferences. If you reach for black coffee over a whipped-cream-covered frappuccino, you probably have a decent threshold for bitter tastes.

Firstleaf analyzes this, along with dozens of other factors, when making their wine choices for you.

Become a Member

It's easy to see why Firstleaf is quickly growing an enthusiastic wine-loving community. In just a few short years, Firstleaf has gained momentum as more and more consumers are trying out this innovative way to taste new flavors.

You can choose individual bottles to try through Firstleaf's online store, or you can become a member and receive personalized cases that are designed specifically for you.

A Firstleaf club membership has plenty of advantages over individual bottle purchases online. Not only do you get bottles of wine to your door (already enough incentive to join, in our opinion), but you also gain access to the Wine Concierge team, who can help answer and all questions you have about your purchase.

With the Wine Concierge, you can experiment with new wines and let them know if you do or do not like certain flavors. The more feedback you offer, the more personalized your next case of wine will be. And, if you really disliked a certain bottle that was picked out for you, you can reach out to the Wine Concierge team and get that bottle replaced at no cost.

Becoming a member of Firstleaf also helps you save money in the long run. Even if you pick out wines a la carte, you still receive club pricing on all bottles that you add to your collection.

Plus, being a Firstleaf member also gives you access to the wine community that has gained traction throughout the years. You'll start learning more and more about different vineyards around the globe, get a deeper dive into Firstleaf's sourcing, and more. With the membership, you'll get more guidance on wines that are similar to wines you already love. For beginners, a membership is the best way to expand your wine horizon and try new types of grape varietals, regional wines, and more. 

Who knows, you could even become an expert at pairing your own recipes with the perfect wine.

A membership to Firstleaf is for everyone — you can be a wine connoisseur or someone who is brand-new to wine. Either way, you'll benefit from the growing community who has an interest in the fascination of wine.

Online Store

There's no pressure to become a Firstleaf member and to show this, anyone has access to their online store, where you can pick out individual bottles of wine at any time. You don't need to be a member to see the high-quality picks that Firstleaf has lined up.

If you're not ready to commit to a case of wine every month, you can easily set yourself up with a few bottles of affordable wine instead.

Why Choose Firstleaf

Firstleaf's wine experts bring the best wines from all around the world to your doorstep. With no importers, distributors or retailers, they are able to share the savings they get by buying direct with you. You can save up to 60% off retail prices on great wines when you join Firstleaf.

So, you're getting a whole lot of tailored wine that you'll love at just a fraction of retail prices.

Firstleaf believes in their process and products so much that they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee – and they are serious about it. If they are unable to make you happy, you'll receive a full refund, no questions asked.

If you're looking to discover quality wines that fit your unique tastes, try Firstleaf today.